grégoire courtine center for neuroprosthetics · the center for neuroprosthetics enthusiastically...

Bertarelli Foundation

Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics

Olaf Blanke

Foundation IRP Chair in Spinal

Cord Repair

Grégoire Courtine


Chair in Translational Neuroengineering

Silvestro Micera


Chair in Neuroprosthetic

Technology

Stéphanie Lacour

De�tech Foundation

Chair in Brain-Machine

InterfaceJosé del R. Millán

Medtronic Chair in

Neuroengineering

Diego Ghezzi

Center for Neuroprosthetics

2014 annual report

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CNP 2014 ANNUAL REPORT / PROJECTS

Welcome

The 20th Century witnessed major advances in the investigation and understanding of the brain and its diseases. This culminated in the 1990s with the “decade of the brain”, which also saw the massive arrival of systems and cognitive neuroscience in humans based on the development of non-invasive brain imaging techniques. The field of neuroengineering also made breathtaking advances in biotechnology and microelectronics, as well as neural implants that make it possible to target specific regions in the brain, the spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system. Next to inspiring new insights into the functioning of the brain, these revolutionary neuroengineering techniques hold great promise for novel personalized treatments for a large number of debilitating and often devastating brain diseases. This acceleration and success in the neurosciences and neuroengineering was complemented by a third revolution: information technology and the birth of the digital age with major advances in computing power, new computing devices, e- and m-health, and wearable communication technologies, including virtual and augmented reality.

The Center for Neuroprosthetics enthusiastically embraces these revolutions andis establishing a truly interdisciplinary area of study for scientific discovery and neurotech-nological design through cutting edge research in neuroscience and engineering, medicine and computer science. To meet our ambitious translational goals in neuroprosthetics—that is, the repair and substitution of impaired sensory, motor and cognitive functions—we have over the last year created several start-up companies and further strengthened our strategic clinical partnerships with the University Hospitals in Geneva and Lausanne, the Swiss Rehabilitation Clinic in Sion, and Harvard Medical School.

Stay tuned.

Olaf BlankeDirector of the Center for NeuroprostheticsEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (Switzerland)

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Mission

The Center for Neuroprosthetics (CNP) capitalizes on its unique access to the advanced bio- and neurotechnologies and state of the art brain research present at EPFL. We strive to develop new technologies that repair, replace and enhance functions of the nervous system. The development of such technologies or devices, called neuropros-theses, requires a fundamental understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of the functions that should be replaced or repaired, for example sensory perception, cognitive operations or movement. It also requires technological capabilities to design novel devices, to record and process signals and to translate them into outputs that can command artificial limbs, bodies and robots, for motor function, or produce signals to activate the brain, in the case of sensory and cognitive prostheses. The well-established treatments of deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, of cochlear implants for hearing loss, and of virtual reality for neuropsychiatric rehabilita-tion are just three of the success stories in this area. Clearly, much work lies ahead of us while we strive to provide enabling neurotechnological treatments to neurological and psychiatric patients. Such electroceutical and cogniceutical treatments are desperately needed with approximately a third of the population in Europe and the US afflicted by brain disorders. Major advances in systems and cognitive neuroprosthetics are necessary for treating patients with motor and sensory loss as well as cognitive deficits such as those caused by Alzheimer’s disease and vascular stroke.

CNP

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Projects

Walk againMovement intentions of a paralyzed rodent with spinal cord injury are decoded from real-time recording of brain activity. Decoded information is directly fed into a brain-spi-nal interface that computes optimal spinal cord stimulation patterns to execute the de-sired movement. As a result the animal is capable of locomotion and obstacle avoidance, even though the spinal cord motoneurons are physically separated from the brain.

Cognitive enhancement and repairRobust real-time movement control of wheelchairs and robots, pioneering work in virtu-al reality, augmented reality, wearable robotics, and brain-machine interfaces, and major advances in cognitive neuroscience and wearable technology are exploited to develop new devices and treatments for mobility restoration, chronic pain, schizophrenia, communica-tion, neuroscience research, and entertainment.

Rehabilitation of upper limb sensorimotor lossMerging insights from robotics and neuroengineering, our devices enable novel neurore-habilitation training for patients suffering from sensorimotor loss of the upper extremity. These tools are complemented by techniques from brain-machine interfaces and virtual reality to further enhance rehabilitation outcomes for patients with sensorimotor loss, chronic pain and cognitive deficits.

Bionic handBiocompatible flexible electrodes are implanted into peripheral arm nerves of amputee patients. Movement commands of the amputee patient are decoded from signals in the implanted electrodes and transmitted to the prosthetic hand, where they are translated into movements of the prosthetic hand and fingers. Signals from different sensors in the prosthetic hand can also be transmitted via the implanted electrodes to the peripheral nerve to enable sensory functions such as the sense of touch and of finger position. Novel non-invasive stimulation protocols are developed to enable touch and decrease phantom limb pain.

6 © Copyright 2014 EPFL for all material published in this report EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics

A Computational Model for Epidural Electrical Stimulation of Spinal Sensori-motor Circuits

Spinal neuroprosthetics and in particular epi-dural electrical stimulation (EES) of lumbo-sacral segments can restore a range of move-ments after spinal cord injury. However, the mechanisms and neural structures through which EES facilitates movement execution remain unclear. Researchers from the CNP developed a realistic finite element computer model of rat lumbosacral segments to identify the currents generated by EES and coupled this model with an anatomically realistic bio-physical model of sensorimotor circuits. Our computational model, which we validat-ed with actual measurements from the animal, offers an alternative to classical experimental approaches to optimize quickly and precisely the position, size, and configuration of EES electrodes.

The computational model: the realistic finite element model

Walk again Restoring sensorimotor functions after spinal cord injury

Together with the neurosurgery department at CHUV, the Courtine Lab designed an ad-vanced gait rehabilitation platform. A room located in the neurorehabilitation unit at the Nestlé Rehabilitation Hospital has been entirely renovated to integrate the most ad-vanced technologies for the recordings and rehabilitation of people with locomotor im-pairments.

Robotic postural neuroprosthesis

Novel robotic postural neuroprosthesis to evaluate, enable, and train locomotion under natural walking conditions. The amount of support can be finetuned for each axis according to the animal’s capacity.

Completely Paralyzed Rats Can Walk NaturallyA completely paralyzed rat can be made to walk over obstacles and up stairs by electrically stimulating the severed part of the spinal cord. EPFL scientists discovered how to control in real-time how the rat moves forward and how high it lifts its limbs.

RobotOverhead suspension of the rat is used for optimal training. Electrodes

Electrodes are implanted directly on top of the seve-red part of the spinal cord, below the lesion.

Chemical StimulationPharmaceuticals are injec-ted into the spinal cord .

MonitoringInformation about the rat's body position and leg movement is ana-lyzed and fed back into the system.

Electrical StimulationElectrical signals are designed to adjust leg movement and then sent to the spinal cord.

Electronic dura mater (e-dura)

The soft elastomeric implant is prepared with silicone rubber, stretchable thin-gold film interconnects, platinum-silicone composite electrode coating, and hosts a silicone microfluidic channel for in situ drug delivery. This surface electrode implant can be inserted below the natural dura mater to conform to the surface of the brain or the spinal cord (Minev et al., Science 2015).

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Cognitive enhancement and repairRestoring and enhancing sensorimotor integration and cognition through brain-computer interfaces and neuroscience robotics

Avatar embodiment for immersive interaction.

Users control a 3D avatar to interact with virtual objects and other virtual humans based on full body motion capture and virtual reality technology. These technologies are tailored and personalized for pa-tients suffering from chronic pain and motor disor-ders.

Neuroscience robotics and robotic psychiatry

We have developed several new robotic devices that allow us to study the brain mechanisms of psychosis-like mental states (first-rank symptoms of schizophrenia; i.e. passivity feelings) in healthy subjects. These data are compared with data in neurological patients (left). Moreover, we recently designed a new MRI-compatible robot allowing to determine the detailed brain mechanisms of psychosis-like states in healthy subjects and patients with psychosis.

EEG correlates of upcoming driving actions.

The decoding of brain activity during car driving identifies and can even anticipate the changing of lane on a highway. (a) Car driving simulator used in the experiments, including a real car seat and steering wheel, and 3D monitors. b) Car trajectories and steering angles during lane changes. (c) Grand average ERP during lane changes (top) and straight driving periods (bottom). Topographical activity represented by a top view of the scalp (nose up). t=0 corresponds to the moment of steering.

BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller.

Using a new graphical user interface and an underlying binary tree structure, the hybrid BCI (hBCI) can be used in combination with context awareness to improve flawless spelling task completion.

a b.

c

8 © Copyright 2014 EPFL for all material published in this report EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics

Medial Distal

Medial Proximal

Thenars

Lateral Distal

Lateral Proximal

Rehabilitation of upper limb sensorimotor lossProviding neurotechnological tools for cerebral stroke

rehabilitation

Virtual reality for treatment of pain and motor loss

We developed a new line of systems merging insights from neuroscience of bodily self-consciousness and augmented reality for chronic pain patients... (amputation, cerebral stroke or orthopedic disorders).

Brain-computer interfaces and rehabilitation

Brain-computer interfaces (BCI) can help stroke patients to regain motor control of their paralyzed hand. The BCI detects the patient’s intent to execute a hand extension movement and activates appropri-ate functional electrical stimulation patterns to activate the hand muscles and execute the desired action. The BCI also checks that intent is encod-ed in physiologically relevant cortical areas and frequencies.

Robotic neurorehabilitation of upper limbs.

CNP develops personalized approaches for robot-based post-stroke neuroreha-biltiation using novel upper limb exoskeletons and virtual reality.

Precise neuro-muscular electrical stimu-lation of hand and fingers

Our electrode arrays facilitate specific flexion and extension of the fingers and also control the wrist.

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Neural representation of the phantom hand in a human amputee with targeted muscle reinnervation

Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) in-terfaces persisting nerves from the am-putated limb with another muscle of the amputee (here the chest muscle) allowing the control of a robotic or prosthetic limb. We used ultra-high resolution imaging at 7 tesla fMRI and showed that the cortical hand motor cen-ters in such TMR patients were restored to the location of the hand motor centers controlling the non-amputated hand. This differs from the location of motor centers in amputee patients without TMR and will benefit the design of future neuroprostheses.

Bionic hand Restoring sensory and motor functions after arm or hand

amputation

Restoring natural sensory feedback for real-time bidirec-tional robotic arm control in a human amputee

The ideal bidirectional hand prosthesis should involve both a reli-able decoding of the user’s intentions and the delivery of sensory feedback through the remnant afferent pathways simultaneously and in real time. We showed that, by stimulating peripheral nerves using intraneural electrodes, natural sensory information can be provided to an amputee during the real time control of a hand prosthesis. This feedback enabled the participant to effectively modulate the grasping force of the prosthesis without any visual or auditory feedback. Results also show that by restoring dynamic sensory information derived from specific hand locations, a higher complexity of per-ception can be obtained, allowing the subject to identify the com-pliance and shape of different objects.

Electronic artificial skin, or e-skin

Our multimodal electronic skin covers the dorsal and palmar sides of the fingers. This wearable elastomer-based e-skin includes resistive sensors for monitoring finger articulation and capacitive tactile pressure sensors that register distributed pressure along the entire length of the finger.Future prosthesis may be covered with artificial skin. Our artificial skin can sustain crumpling as well as sharp indentation while the gold film coating remains intact.

Generalization of BMI decoders across different protocols

(a) Experimental protocol. (b) EEG error related potentials (ErrP) in each experimental protocol. (c-d) ErrP decoders can generalize across protocols with reduced calibration time without decrease in performance.

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CNP 2014 ANNUAL REPORT / LABS

Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Cognitive NeuroprostheticsBlanke Lab

http://lnco.epfl.ch

IRP Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord RepairCourtine Lab

http://courtine-lab.epfl.ch

Medtronic Chair in NeuroengineeringGhezzi Lab

http://cnp.epfl.ch/Ghezzilab

Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Neuroprosthetic Technology Lacour Lab

http://lsbi.epfl.ch

Translational Neural Engineering LaboratoryMicera Lab

http://tne.epfl.ch

Defitech Foundation Chair in Brain-Machine InterfaceMillán Lab

http://cnbi.epfl.ch

Laboratories

© Copyright 2014 EPFL for all material published in this report 12 EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics

Blanke Labhttp://lnco.epfl.ch

The Blanke Lab (Bertarelli Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics) targets the brain mechanisms of body perception, body awareness and consciousness. Neuroscience projects rely on the investigation of healthy subjects, neurological, psychiatric, orthopedic patients by combining psychophysical and cognitive paradigms, neuroimaging techniques (high resolution fMRI, intracranial and surface EEG, TMS), and engineering-based approaches (virtual reality, robotics, vestibular stimulation). In neuroprosthetics, we pursue an active line of research on sensory substitution, neurorehabilitation, and human enhancement. Pioneering the field of cognitive neuroprosthetics, we have integrated several engineering techniques such as robotics, haptics, and virtual reality with a broad range of behavioral and neuroscience technologies. Most recently we have pursued the development of the field of robotic psychiatry (robotics to understand the brain mechanisms of psychiatric symptoms) and cogniceuticals (the application of robotics and augmented reality to enhance and alter mind, cognition, and consciousness).

Results Obtained in 2014In robotic psychiatry, a major achievement was the design and application of a master-slave robotic system (Hara et al., Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2014) that manipulates sensorimotor signals in a fine-grained way and is able to induce altered bodily experience and psychosis-like states in healthy participants (Blanke et al., Current Biology 2014). We also studied the same states and the involved brain circuits in a large group of neurological patients. Most recently, we have started to investigate the involved brain circuits in healthy participants by using another robotic system that is fully compatible with brain imaging using magnetic resonance imaging. In cogniceuticals, we have launched a major effort in treating patients with chronic pain (of neurological and orthopedic origin) using a new integrated virtual reality platform with our clinical partners in the rehabilitation clinics in Sion and Geneva (research is ongoing). Our neuroscience research targeted the brain regions underlying body percep-tion and consciousness in healthy participants (Ionta et al., Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 2014) and neurological patients (Heydrich & Blanke, Brain 2013; Serino et al., Epilepsy and Behavior 2014; Heydrich et al., Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 2015; Ronchi et al., Neuropsychologia, 2015) including processing of bodily sounds (Van Elk et al., Biological Psychology, 2014a, 2014b) and pain (Romano et al., Behavioral Brain Research 2014), and visual consciousness (Faivre et al., Current Opinion in Neurology, 2015).

KeywordsMultisensory and sensorimotor processing, consciousness, neuroscience, robotics, virtual and augmented reality, neuroimaging, fMRI, EEG, neurology, psychiatry.

Bio Olaf Blanke is founding Director of the Center for Neuroprosthetics and holds the Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He also directs the Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience at EPFL and is Professor of Neurology at the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital of Geneva. Blanke’s human neuroscience research is dedicated to the under-standing of how the brain represents our body and the neuroscientific study of conscious-ness. In neuroprosthetics he develops the fields of robotic psychiatry, cognetics, and cogniceuticals.


Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics

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Selected PublicationsRonchi R, Bello-Ruiz J, Lukowska M, Herbelin B, Cabrilo I, Schaller K, Blanke O. 2015. Right insular damage decreases heartbeat awareness and alters cardio-visual effects on bodily self-consciousness. Neuropsy-chologia 70:11-20.

Faivre N, Salomon R, Blanke O. 2015. Visual consciousness and bodily self-consciousness. Current Opinion in Neurology. 28(1):23-8.

Blanke O, Pozeg P, Hara M, Heydrich L, Serino A, Yamamoto A, Higuchi T, Salomon R, Seeck M, Landis T, Arzy S, Herbelin B, Bleuler H, Rognini G. 2014. Neurological and robot-controlled induction of an appari-tion. Current Biology 24: 2681-2686.

Hara M, Salomon R, van der Zwaag W, Kober T, Rognini G, Nabae H, Yamamoto A, Blanke O, Higuchi T. 2014. A novel manipulation method of human body ownership using an fMRI-compatible master-slave system. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 30;235:25-34.

Prsa M, Jimenez-Rezende D, Blanke O. 2014. Inference of perceptual priors from path dynamics of passive self-motion. Journal of Neurophysiology 113(5):1400-13.

Ionta S, Martuzzi R, Salomon R, Blanke O. 2014. The brain network reflecting bodily self-consciousness: a functional connectivity study. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 9(12):1904-13.

Adler D, Herbelin B, Similowski T, Blanke O. 2014. Breathing and sense of self: visuo-respiratory conflicts alter body self-consciousness. Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology 203:68-74.

van Elk M, Salomon R, Kannape O, Blanke O. 2014. Suppression of the N1 auditory evoked potential for sounds generated by the upper and lower limbs. Biological Psychology 102:108-17.

van Elk M, Lenggenhager B, Heydrich L, Blanke O. 2014. Suppression of the auditory N1-component for heartbeat-related sounds reflects interoceptive predictive coding. Biological Psychology 99:172-82.

Serino A, Heydrich L, Kurian M, Spinelli L, Seeck M, Blanke O. 2014. Auditory verbal hallucinations of epileptic origin. Epilepsy and Behavior 31:181-6.

Romano D, Pfeiffer C, Maravita A, Blanke O. 2014. Illusory self-identification with an avatar reduces arousal responses to painful stimuli. Behavioral Brain Research 15;261:275-81.

Aspell JE, Heydrich L, Marillier G, Lavanchy T, Herbelin B, Blanke O. 2013. Turning body and self inside out: visualized heartbeats alter bodily self-consciousness and tactile perception. Psychological Science 24(12):2445-53.

Heydrich L, Blanke O. 2013. Distinct illusory own-body perceptions caused by damage to posterior insula and extrastriate cortex. Brain 136 (3):790-803.

Kannape OA and Blanke O. 2013. Self in motion: sensorimotor and cognitive mechanisms in gait agency. Journal of Neurophysiology 110(8):1837-47.

Team

Full ProfessorOlaf Blanke

Postdoctoral fellowsFosco Bernasconi

Maria Laura BlefariElisa Canzoneri

Nathan FaivreRoberto MartuzziIsabella Pasqualini

Roberta Ronchi Roy Salomon

Aaron Schurger Andrea Serino

Medical DoctorPierre Progin

PhD studentsMichel Akselrod

Lucie BrechetSteven Gale Petr Grivaz

Mariia Kaliuzhna Silvia Marchesotti

Dollyane MuretChristian Pfeiffer

Polona Pozeg Giulio Rognini

Marco Solcà

Master studentsEva Blondiaux Jonathan Dönz Amira Muhech Jean-Paul Noël

Laurène Vuillaume

Technical staffJavier Bello Ruiz

Robin Mange Martin Jobin (civiliste)

Administrative AssistantGordana Kokorus

Sonia Neffati-Laifi

Brain correlates of psychosis-like symptoms. Overlap of brain lesions, detected through multi-modal imaging, in neurological patients affected by psychosis-like symptoms.

Robot-controlled induction of an apparition. Participants performed stroking hand movements via a master robot in the front, while receiving an altered sensory feedback via a slave robot on their back. By manipulating through the robotic system the spatio-temporal congruency between movements and sensory feedback, we were able to systematically induce psychosis-like symptoms in healthy participants.


The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as many as 500’000 people suffer from a spinal cord injury each year. Over the past decade, we implemented an unconventional research program with the aim to develop radically new treatment paradigms to improve functional recovery after spinal cord injury. We have progressively conceived a treatment that integrates a serotonergic replacement therapy (Nature Neuroscience, 2009), electrical spinal cord stimulation (Science Translational Medicine, 2014; Science, 2015), next-generation weight-supporting robotic systems (Nature Medicine, 2012) and novel will-powered training regimes (Science, 2012). We have shown that this combinatorial treatment restored refined locomotion after severe spinal cord injury in rodent models. Recovery occurs through the extensive and ubiquitous remodeling of residual neuronal connections in the brain and spinal cord. The goal of the laboratory is to translate this treatment into a medical practice for improving functional recovery after spinal cord injury in humans. To this aim, we have structured a translational, neuroprosthetic program that combines work in mice, rats, non-human primates, and humans. Specifically, our objective is to (i) identify the mechanisms underlying the immediate and long-term effects of our treatment in genetically modified mice using virus-mediated experimental manipulations, calcium imaging and optogenetics; (ii) refine all our methods and procedures in rat models of spinal cord injury; (iii) optimize and validate our new neurotechnologies and therapeutic concepts in non-human primate models; and (iv) deploy clinical studies that progressively integrate the different components of our interventions.

Results Obtained in 2014Mechanisms of recovery after spinal cord injury (Cell 2014): We had previously demonstrated that recovery after spinal cord injury relies on novel detour connections that bypass the injury. However, the circuit-level mechanism behind this process was not elucidated. We found that muscle spindles and associated circuits promote the establishment of these detour connections. These findings may contribute to improving our treatment strategies.Neuromodulation therapies (Science Translational Medicine, 2014; Science 2015): We have identified the mechanisms underlying the facilitation of locomotion with electrical spinal cord stimulation. This conceptual framework guided the development of innovative hardware and software to improve our neuromodulation therapies. We designed the first entirely stretchable, multimodal implants that exhibit unprecedented bio-integration in the central nervous system. This implant, developed in collaboration with Prof. Lacour, can deliver both electrical and chemical stimulations over the brain and spinal cord. In parallel, we collaborated with Prof. Micera to develop a control platform through which neuromodulation parameters can be adjusted in real-time, based on movement feedback. Using this hardware and software, we designed control algorithms that achieve precise adjustment of leg movements in animal models of neurological disorders. Wireless neurosensor (Neuron, 2014): Neuroscience research has been constrained by cables required to connect brain sensors to computers. In collaboration with Brown University, we developed and validated a wireless brain-sensing system that allows recordings of high-fidelity neural data during unconstrained behavior in primates. Gait rehabilitation platform: In collaboration with the CHUV, the SUVA and the Canton of Valais, we established a new Gait Platform that brings together innovative monitoring and rehabilitation technology. We will exploit this Gait Platform to evaluate the ability of our electrical stimulation protocols and robot-assisted training procedures to improve motor function after spinal cord injury.

KeywordsSpinal cord injury, neural repair, neurorehabilitation, neuroprosthetics, brain-machine interface, robotics, neuronal recordings, optogenetics, EMG, kinematics, locomotion, neuromorphology, mice, rats, monkeys, humans.

Courtine Labhttp://courtine-lab.epfl.ch

FoundationIRP

Chair in Spinal Cord Repair

BioGrégoire Courtine was trained in Mathematics, Physics, and Neurosciences in France and Italy. After a Postdoc in Los Angeles (UCLA), he established his laboratory at the University of Zurich. In 2012, he was appointed the International Paraplegic Foundation Chair in Spinal Cord Repair at the Center for Neuroprosthetics at EPFL. His research program aims to develop neuropros-thetic treatments to improve recovery after spinal cord injury—an endeavor that has been reported in high-profile publications, and has extensively been covered in the media. His startup, G-Therapeutics SA, aims at translating these medical and technological breakthroughs into treatments.

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Selected PublicationsMinev IR, Musienko P, Hirsch A, Barraud Q, Wenger N, Moraud EM, Gandar J, Capogrosso M, Milekovic T, Asboth L, Torres RF, Vachicouras N, Liu Q, Pavlova N, Duis S, Larmagnac A, Vörös J, Micera S, Suo Z, Courtine G and Lacour SP. 2015. Biomaterials. Electronic dura mater for long-term multimodal neural interfaces. Science, 347(6218):159-63.

Takeoka A, Vollenweider I, Courtine G and Arber S. 2014. Muscle spindle feedback directs locomotor recovery and circuit reorganization after spinal cord injury, Cell, 159(7): 1626-39.

Yin M, Borton DA, Komar J, Agha N, Lu Y, Li H, Laurens J, Lang Y, Li Q, Bull C, Larson L, Rosler D, Bezard E, Courtine G and Nurmikko AV. 2014. Wireless Neurosensor for Full-Spectrum Electrophysiology Recordings during Free Behavior, Neuron, 84(6): 1170-82.

Wenger N, Martin Moraud E, Raspopovic S, Bonizzato M, DiGiovanna J, Musienko P, Morari M, Micera S and Courtine G. 2014. Closed-loop neuromodulation of spinal sensorimotor circuits controls refined locomo-tion after complete spinal cord injury, Science Translational Medicine, 6(255):255ra133.

Borton D, Micera S, Millán J d R and Courtine G. 2013. Personalized neuroprosthetics, Science Translational Medicine, 5(210):210rv2.

Capogrosso M, Wenger N, Raspopovic S, Musienko P, Beauparlant J, Bassi Luciani L, Courtine G and Micera S. 2013. A Computational Model for Epidural Electrical Stimulation of Spinal Sensorimotor Circuits, Journal of Neuroscience, 33(49): 19326-40.

Beauparlant J, van den Brand R, Barraud Q, Friedli L, Musienko P, Dietz V and Courtine G. 2013. Un-directed compensatory plasticity contributes to neuronal dysfunction after severe spinal cord injury, Brain, 136:3347-61.

Team Associate Professor

Grégoire Courtine

Postdoctoral fellowsQuentin Barraud

David BortonCristina Martinez Gonzalez

Jean LaurensJean-Baptiste Mignardot

Tomislav MilekovicPavel MusienkoNatalia Pavlova

Joachim Von Zitzewitz

PhD studentsSelin Anil

Mark AndersonLeonie AsbothKay Bartholdi

Janine BeauparlantLucia Friedli Wittler

Jérôme GanderCamille Le Goff

Galyna PidpruzhnykovaIsabel Vollenweider

Nikolaus Wenger

Technicians & Research AssistantsLaetitia Baud Simone Duis Julie Kreider

Scientific coordinator Rubia Van den Brand

Executive assistantKim-Yen Nguyen

Master studentsTunvez BoulicNaïg Chenais

Antoine Collomb-ClercEdouard De Saint-Exupéry

Rafael FajardoMichel Fanny

Sam GhazanfariNili Halimi

Audrey NguyenJean Pie

Solange RichterRomain SageanGiorgio Ulrich

Marie-Claire Ung

A completely paralyzed rat can be made to walk over obstacles and up stairs by electri-cally stimulating the severed part of the spinal cord.


KeywordsNeuro-optoelectronic interfaces, visual prosthesis, optical stimulation, nanofabrication, polymers, neuroprosthetics, biocompatibility, visual system, sight restoration, sensory percep-tion, artificial photoreceptors.

BioProf. Diego Ghezzi holds the Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering at the School of Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. He received his M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering (2004) and his Ph.D. in Bioengineering (2008) from Politecnico di Milano. From 2008 to 2013, he completed his postdoctoral training at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Genova at the department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies where he was promoted to Researcher in 2013. In 2015, he was appointed as Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Bioengineering in the EPFL Center for Neuroprosthetics. His research activities are primarily focused on the implementation of novel technological approaches for sight restoration, and in general the development of neuro-artificial interfaces and tools for the non-invasive stimulation of the brain with light.

Ghezzi Labhttp://cnp.epfl.ch/Ghezzilab

Medtronic Chair in

Neuroengineeing

Our laboratory represents a bridge among research on material science, engineering, and life science, with the mission of exploring novel interfaces for light modula-tion of neurons. The primary exploitation of these technologies is represented by restoration of sight. The degeneration of the retinal outer nuclear layer represents one of the major causes of adult blindness in industrialized countries. Despite the enormous effort and advances in the clinical treatment of eye diseases, there is no established method to prevent or cure such causes of blindness. Research at the Ghezzi Lab will combine engineering and biotechnological tool in order to provide novel solutions for photoreceptor restoration or replacement.

Results Obtained in 2014In 2014, I started setting up my research activities at the Center for Neuroprosthetics. I was selected from the Global Ophthalmology Awards Program from Bayer HealthCare to lead a research project dedicated to the restoration of sight, by implementing new biotechnological techniques, such as Genome Editing. I also started a new project aiming at combining far infrared illumination with optogenetics for the restoration of vision, in collaboration with Teresa Pellegrino at Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT). The research on the development of an organic retinal prosthesis reaches the stage of in-vivo validation in a rat model of Retinitis pigmentosa. Preliminary results demonstrated the capability of the prosthesis to rescue light sensitivity in-vivo.

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Selected PublicationsEndeman D, Feyen P, Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, Martino N, Colombo E, Lanzani G and Benfenati F. 2014. The use of light sensitive organic semiconductors to manipulate neuronal activity. In Novel Approaches for Single Molecule Activation and Detection, 189-202, Springer.

Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, Mete M, Pertile G, Lanzani G and Benfenati F. 2014. A polymer-based inter-face restores light sensitivity in blind rats. Frontiers in Neuroengineering Conference Abstract: MERIDIAN 30M Workshop.

Parrini M, Ghezzi D, Deidda G, Medrihan L, Benfenati F, Baldelli P, Cancedda L and Contestabile A. 2014. Physical exercise rescues adult neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity and memory in down syndrome mice. Proceedings of FENS20124 9th Forum of European NeuroScience, July 5-9 2014, Milano, Italy

Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, Di Paolo M, Mete M, Maccarone R, Bisti S, Pertile G, Lanzani G, Benfenati F. 2014. A polymer-based interface restores light sensitivity in blind rats. Abstracts of the ARVO 2014 Annual Meeting, Leading Eye and Vision Research, May 4-8 2014, Orlando, Florida, United States of America, 2157

Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, Maccarone R, Bellani S, Lanzarini E, Martino N, Mete M, Pertile G, Bisti S, Lanzani G, Benfenati F. 2013. A polymer optoelectronic interface restores light sensitivity in blind rat retinas. Nature Photonics 7(5):400-406.

Contestabile A, Greco B, Ghezzi D, Tucci V, Benfenati F, Gasparini L. 2013. Lithium rescues synaptic plas-ticity and memory in Down syndrome mice. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 123(1):348-361.

Martino N, Ghezzi D, Benfenati F, Lanzani G, Antognazza MR. 2013. Organic Semiconductors for Artificial Vision, Journal of Material Chemistry B 1:3768-3780.

Szczurkowska J, Dal Maschio M, Cwetsch AW, Ghezzi D, Bony G, Alabastri A, Zaccaria RP, Di Fabrizio E, Ratto GM, Cancedda L. 2013. Increased performance in genetic manipulation by modeling the dielectric properties of the rodent brain. Proceedings of 35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engi-neering in Medicine and Biology Society, Osaka 2013.

Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, Mete M, Pertile G, Lanzani G, Benfenati F. 2013. A polymer-based interface restores light sensitivity in rat blind retinas. Abstracts of the 43th Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, October 9-13 2013, San Diego, California, United States of America, 373.13

Mete M, Ghezzi D, Antognazza MR, MaccaroneR, Lanzarini E, MartinoN, Pertile G, Bisti S, Lanzani G, Benfenati F. 2013. A polymer-based interface restores light sensitivity in rat blind retinas. Abstracts of the ARVO 2013 Annual Meeting, Life-Changing Research, May 5-9 2013, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.

Team Assistant Professor

Diego Ghezzi

Implementation of neuroenginnering tools converting light into retinal stimulation for vision restoration in aninal

model of photoreceptor degeneration


KeywordsMicrofabrication, soft bioelectronics, implantable electrodes, elastomer, electronic skin

BioProf. Stéphanie P. Lacour holds the Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Neuroprosthetic Technology at the School of Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering from INSA de Lyon, France, and completed postdoctoral research at Princeton University (USA) and the University of Cambridge (UK). She is the recipient of the 2006 MIT TR35, a University Research Fellowship from the Royal Society (UK), a European Research Council ERC Starting Grant, the 2011 Zonta award and the 2014 World Economic Forum Young Scientist award. Her laboratory explores materials, technology and integration of soft bioelectronic interfaces, with particular applications in soft robotics and long-term active neuroprosthesis.

Lacour Labhttp://lsbi.epfl.ch


Chair in Neuroprosthetic

Technology

Bioelectronics integrates principles of electrical engineering to biology, medicine and ultimately health. The Laboratory for Soft Bioelectronics Interfaces (LSBI) challenges and seeks to advance our fundamental concepts in man-made electronic interfaces applied to biological systems. Specifically, the focus is on designing and manufacturing electronic devices with mechanical properties close to that of the host biological tissues so that long-term reliability and minimal perturbation are induced in vivo and/or truly wearable systems become possible. Applications include assistive technologies for patients with impaired neurological functions in the form of soft implantable electrodes, and wearable interfaces in skin-like formats for prosthetic tactile skins.We use fabrication methods borrowed from the MEMS industry and adapt them to soft substrates like elastomers. We develop novel characterization tools adapted to mechanically compliant bioelectronic circuits. Moving soft bio-electronics forward requires innovation in the fields of materials science, fabrication, engineering and biocompatibility and a multidisciplinary mindset.

Results Obtained in 2014In 2014, our research has focused on the integration and characterization of soft bioelectronic devices, designed for sensory skins and compliant neural interfaces.Electronic Dura MaterWe have demonstrated a new class of soft multimodal neural implants that offer extraordinary resilience and unprecedented long-term bio-integration within the central nervous system. The soft neural implants, which we called e-dura because they display nearly identical mechanical behavior to the natural dura mater, are entirely made of stretchable materials. The electrodes are coated with a soft, engineered platinum-silicone composite with high electrical efficiency. In collaboration with CNP labs of Prof. Grégoire Courtine and Prof. Silvestro Micera, we have implemented the soft neuroprosthesis to restore locomotion in paralyzed rats who had suffered a near complete spinal cord injury, over extended periods of time. Using a similar implant, placed on the surface of the motor cortex, we were able to record cortical states associated with locomotion in freely behaving rodents. This new technological platform is highly versatile and will lead to a broad range of applications for basic research and translational medicine. (Minev*, Musienko* et al. Science 2015).We are pursuing the development of a range compliant electrode implants including flexible auditory brainstem implants and peripheral nerve interfaces based on soft conduit coatings and microchannel electrodes.Tactile sensory skinThe sensing capability of human skin is remarkable; it is able to measure physical stimuli such as shear and normal pressures, temperature, and vibration at a thickness of only 1 mm, and can do so while undergoing large deformations and extensions. Electronic artificial skin, or e-skin, represents a powerful tool for applications such as prosthetics, robotics, and wearable electronics. In 2014, the LSBI has optimized and implemented a multimodal electronic skin covering the dorsal and palmar sides of the fingers. The wearable elastomer-based electronic skin includes resistive sensors for monitoring finger articulation and capacitive tactile pressure sensors that register distributed pressure along the entire length of the finger. We are also pursuing our efforts in manufacturing high-performance thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide (IGZO) semiconductor channel on compliant substrates. Such devices are essential elements to scale up our sensory skin to large area and high-density sensor arrays.

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Selected PublicationsMinev IR*, Musienko P*, Hirsch A, Barraud Q, Wenger N, Moraud EM, Gandar J, Capogrosso M, Mile-kovic T, Asboth L, Torres RF, Vachicouras N, Liu Q, Pavlova N, Duis S, Larmagnac A, Voros J, Micera S, Z. Suo, Courtine G*, and Lacour SP*. 2015. Electronic dura mater for long-term multimodal neural interfaces. Science, 347(6218): 159-63.

de Luca AC, Lacour SP, Raffoul W, and di Summa PG. 2014. Extracellular matrix components in peripheral nerve repair: how to affect neural cellular response and nerve regeneration? Neural Regeneration Research, 9(22): 1943-48.

Gerratt AP, Sommer N, Lacour SP and Billard A. 2014. Stretchable capacitive tactile skin on humanoid robot fingers - first experiments and results, 2014 IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots, Madrid, Spain, paper 202617.

Romeo A, Hofmeister Y, and Lacour SP. 2014. Implementing MEMS technology for soft, (bio)electronics interfaces, SPIE Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications VI, Baltimore, USA, vol. 9083, 90831F-90831F-6.

Robinson A, Aziz A, Liu Q, Suo Z, and Lacour SP. 2014. Hybrid stretchable circuits on silicone substrate, Journal of Applied Physics, 115(14): 143511.

Borton D, Bonizzato M, Beauparlant J, DiGiovanna J, Moraud EM, Wenger N, Musienko P, Minev IR, Lacour SP, del Millan J, Micera S, and Courtine S. 2014. Corticospinal neuroprostheses to restore locomotion after spinal cord injury, Neuroscience Research, 78: 21-9.

Musick KM, Chew DJ , Fawcett JW, and Lacour SP. 2013. PDMS Microchannel Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface, 2013 6th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER), pp. 649-652.

Guex A, Joris P, Slama MCC, Brown MC, Renaud Ph, Lee DJ, and Lacour SP. 2013. Microfabricated auditory brainstem implants on polyimide film, 2013 6th International IEEE/EMBS Conference on Neural Engineering (NER), paper 201855.

Dobrzynski MK, Vanderparre H, Pericet-Camara R, L’Eplattenier G, Lacour SP, Floreano D. 2013. Hyper-flexible 1D shape sensor, The 17th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (IEEE Transducers & Eurosensors XXVII), 2013, 1899-1902.

Team Assistant Professor

Stéphanie P. Lacour

Postdoctoral fellowsAlba de Luca

Aaron Gerratt Swati Gupta

Tero Kulmala Ivan Minev

Katherine Musick

PhD studentsSandra GribiAmélie Guex

Arthur HirschHadrien MichaudFrédéric Michoud

Cédric PaulouAlessia Romeo

Nicolas VachicourasYi-Li Wu

EngineerMartin Jobin

Visiting students: Jolien Pas

Kristie Yang (Duke University)

Administrative AssistantCarole Weissenberger

Christel Daidié

Electronic dura mater. The soft elastomeric implant is prepared with silicone rubber, stretchable thin-gold film interconnects, platinum-silicone composite electrode coating, and hosts a silicone microfluidic channel for in situ drug delivery. This surface electrode implant can be inserted below the natural dura mater to conform the very surface of the brain or the spinal cord.


The goal of the Translational Neural Engineering (TNE) Laboratory is to develop implantable neural interfaces and robotic systems to restore sensorimotor function in people with different kinds of disabilities (spinal cord injury, stroke, amputation, etc.). In particular, the TNE lab aim is to be a technological bridge between basic science and the clinical environment. Therefore, TNE novel technologies and approaches are designed and developed, starting from basic scientific knowledge in the field of neuroscience, neurology and geriatrics, with the idea that better understanding means better development of clinical solutions.

Results Obtained in 2014In 2014, we published the first example of a bidirectional arm neuroprosthesis in humans. We showed, for the first time, the possibility to develop a real-time bidirectional control of hand prostheses using intraneural peripheral electrodes. We were also deeply involved in the activities led by Professor Courtine’s team to develop a novel neuroprosthesis to restore locomotion using epidural electrical stimulation (EES). These activities produced, among others, a publication in Science Translational Medicine showing novel control strategies to improve the performance of EES real time control of gait parameters. We participated at the development of the e-dura technology from Prof. Stéphanie Lacour’s lab, recently published in Science. We are also currently working with the University Hospital of Geneva (Prof. Guyot) to develop and validate a novel neuroprosthesis to restore vestibular functions in disabled subjects. The TNE is responsible for the integration of the device, and the development of novel approaches to assess the performance of this device and collaborates on the clinical and neurophysiological characterization together with HUG clinical team. We are also starting a new industrial collaboration on this topic.Finally, we develop a wearable system for functional electrical stimulation to restore grasping in highly disabled subjects. The system is currently in clinical testing in Italy.

KeywordsImplantable neuroprostheses, rehabilitation robotics, wearable devices, neuro-controlled artifi-cial limbs, reaching and grasping, locomotion, functional electrical stimulation.

Micera Labhttp://tne.epfl.ch


Chair in Translational

Neuroengineering

BioSilvestro Micera is Director of the Translational Neural Engineering Laboratory and holds the Bertarelli Foundation Chair in Translational Neuroengineering at the Center for Neuroprosthetics and the Institute of Bioengineering. He received the University degree (Laurea) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Pisa in 1996, and the Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering from the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in 2000. In 2009 he was the recipient of the “Early Career Achievement Award” of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Prof. Micera’s research interests include the development of neuroprostheses based on the use of implantable neural interfaces with the central and peripheral nervous systems to restore sensory and motor function in disabled persons.

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Selected PublicationsMinev IR, Musienko P, Hirsch A, Barraud Q, Wenger N, Moraud EM, Gandar J, Capogrosso M, Milekovic T, Asboth L, Torres RF, Vachicouras N, Liu Q, Pavlova N, Duis S, Larmagnac A, Vörös J, Micera S, Suo Z, Courtine G, Lacour SP. 2015. Biomaterials. Electronic dura mater for long-term multimodal neural interfaces. Science, 347(6218):159-63.

Chisari C, Bertolucci F, Monaco V, Venturi M, Simonella C, Micera S, Rossi B. 2015. Robot-assisted gait training improves motor performances and modifies Motor Unit firing in poststroke patients. European Journal Physical Rehabilitation Medicine. 51(1):59-69.

Minguillon J, Pirondini E, Coscia M, Leeb R, Millan JD, Van De Ville D, Micera S. 2014. Modular organiza-tion of reaching and grasping movements investigated using EEG microstates. Conference Proceedings of the IEEE Engineering Medicine and Biology Society. Aug. 2014.

Wenger N, Moraud EM, Raspopovic S, Bonizzato M, DiGiovanna J, Musienko P, Morari M, Micera S, Courtine G. 2014. Closed-loop neuromodulation of spinal sensorimotor circuits controls refined locomotion after complete spinal cord injury. Science Translational Medicine: 6(255):255ra133.

Poppendieck W, Sossalla A, Krob MO, Welsch C, Nguyen TA, Gong W, DiGiovanna J, Micera S, Merfeld DM, Hoffmann KP.2014. Development, manufacturing and application of double-sided flexible implantable microelectrodes. Biomedical Microdevices. 16(6):837-50.

Nguyen TA, Ranieri M, DiGiovanna J, Peter O, Genovese V, Perez Fornos A, Micera S. 2014. A real-time research platform to study vestibular implants with gyroscopic inputs in vestibular deficient subjects.IEEE Transaction on Biomedical Circuits and Systems. 8(4):474-84.

Perez Fornos A, Guinand N, van de Berg R, Stokroos R, Micera S, Kingma H, Pelizzone M, Guyot JP. 2014. Artificial balance: restoration of the vestibulo-ocular reflex in humans with a prototype vestibular neuropros-thesis. Frontiers in Neurology. 5(66).

Martelli D, Artoni F, Monaco V, Sabatini AM, Micera S. 2014. Pre-impact fall detection: optimal sensor positioning based on a machine learning paradigm. PLoS One. 9(3):e92037.

Coscia M, Cheung VC, Tropea P, Koenig A, Monaco V, Bennis C, Micera S, Bonato P. 2014. The effect of arm weight support on upper limb muscle synergies during reaching movements. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation. 4(11):22.

Raspopovic S, Capogrosso M, Petrini FM, Bonizzato M, Rigosa J, Di Pino G, Carpaneto J, Controzzi M, Boretius T, Fernandez E, Granata G, Oddo CM, Citi L, Ciancio AL, Cipriani C, Carrozza MC, Jensen W, Guglielmelli E, Stieglitz T, Rossini PM, Micera S. 1024. Restoring natural sensory feedback in real-time bidirectional hand prostheses. Science Translational Medicine. 6(222):222ra19.

Spalletti C, Lai S, Mainardi M, Panarese A, Ghionzoli A, Alia C, Gianfranceschi L, Chisari C, Micera S, Caleo M. 2014. A robotic system for quantitative assessment and poststroke training of forelimb retraction in mice. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. 28(2):188-96.

Capogrosso M, Wenger N, Raspopovic S, Musienko P, Beauparlant J, Bassi Luciani L, Courtine G, Micera S. 2013. A computational model for epidural electrical stimulation of spinal sensorimotor circuits. Journal of Neuroscience. 33(49):19326-40.

Borton D, Micera S, Millán J del R, Courtine G. 2013. Personalized neuroprosthetics. Science Translational Medicine. 5(210):210rv2.


Silvestro Micera

Postdoctoral Fellows Marco Capogrosso

Martina CosciaJack DiGiovanna

Eduardo Martin-MoraudStanisa Raspopovic

Jacopo Rigosa

PhD studentsMarco Bonizzato

Andrea CremaEdoardo D’Anna

Emanuele FormentoBeryl Jehenne (visiting)

Jenifer MiehlbradtT. Khoa Nguyen

Francesco M. Petrini (visiting)Elvira Pirondini

Sophie Wurth

Master studentsYann AmouralLaura DalongDrissi Daoudi

Nicolas DuthilleulPhilippe Fabrice

Gabrielle FedericiIvan Furfaro

Manasi KaneNawal Noelle KinaniAntoine Philippides

Isabelle PitteloudFlavio Raschella’

Georgia SousouriAurelie Staphan

Administrative AssistantAnouk Hein

Hand loss is a highly disabling event that markedly affects the quality of life. To achieve a close to natural replacement

for the lost hand, the user should be provided with the rich sensations that we naturally perceive when grasping

or manipulating an object. Ideal bidirectional hand prostheses should involve both a reliable decoding of the

user’s intentions and the delivery of nearly “natural” sensory feedback through remnant afferent pathways, simultaneously

and in real time. However, current hand prostheses fail to achieve these requirements, particularly because they lack any sensory feedback. The TNE lab showed that by

stimulating the median and ulnar nerve fascicles using transversal multichannel intrafascicular electrodes, according

to the information provided by the artificial sensors from a hand prosthesis, physiologically appropriate (near-natural) sensory information can be provided to an amputee during

the real-time decoding of different grasping tasks to control a dexterous hand prosthesis. This feedback enables the

user to effectively modulate the grasping force and feel the shape of grasped objects. This approach could improve the efficacy and “life-like” quality of hand prostheses, resulting in a keystone strategy for the near-natural replacement of

missing hands.


The Chair in Brain-Machine Interface laboratory (CNBI) carries out research on the direct use of human brain signals to control devices and interact with our envi-ronment. In this multidisciplinary research, we are bringing together our pioneering work on the two fields of brain-machine interfaces and adaptive intelligent robotics. Our approach to design intelligent neuroprostheses balances the development of prototypes‚ where robust real-time operation is critical‚ and the exploration of new interaction principles and their associated brain correlates. A key element at each stage is the design of efficient machine learning algorithms for real-time analysis of brain activity that allow users to convey their intents rapidly, on the order of hundred milliseconds. Our neuroprostheses are explored in cooperation with clinical partners and disabled volunteers for the purpose of motor restoration, communication, entertainment and rehabilitation

Results Obtained in 2014In the previous year we put strong focus on further evaluation of brain-machine interfaces (BMI) by their intended end-users. This year we have continued our translational efforts with a comprehensive assessment of BMI systems. Taking into account that these systems should closely interact with their users, this evaluation has covered not only traditional performance metrics (i.e., decoding accuracy) but also psychosocial and human factors (Gruebler et al., 2014; Rupp et al, 2014). Regarding these factors, our research has highlighted how adopting a user-centered approach leads to successful design of BMI systems (Perdikis et al., 2014a, 2014b). The second main axis of our research is focused on the decoding of cognitive- related signals that are naturally elicited during motor actions and interaction. Examples of cognitive signals we have been successfully characterized reflect user’s awareness of errors in the interaction (Chavarriaga et al., 2014; Iturrate et al., 2014), as well as EEG signatures of visual attention in real applications (Renold et al., 2014). We have also extended previous work on the decoding of cortical activity that conveys information about intended actions to the analysis of intracranial signals (Bloch et al, 2014; Borton et al., 2014) and the decoding of reaching directions (Lew et al., 2014).It is also important to evaluate effective means to provide the user with information about the state of the BMI system and the devices we want to control. Traditionally, BMI systems have strongly relied on visual feedback while other modalities have been seldom considered. To overcome this limitations we have studied means to better characterize multitasking capa-bilities during BMI operation and strategies to reduce the visual load induced by the interface (Leeb et al, 2014; Kwak et al., 2014).The achievements described above rely strongly on comprehensive development of advanced methods for decoding brain signals and for providing effective human machine interaction. For example, we developed means to evaluate the reliability of the recorded signals (Sagha et al., 2014), methods to improve the classification accuracy (Iturrate et al, 2014; Tzovara et al., 2014; Zhang et al, 2014), as well as support for shared control approaches able to provide timely and suitable assistance to the users (Saeedi et al., 2014).

KeywordsBrain-computer interfaces, neuroprosthetics, statistical machine learning, human-robot interac-tion, adaptive robotics, neuroscience, EEG, local field potentials.

Millán Labhttp://cnbi.epfl.ch

Defitech Foundation

Chair in Brain-machine

Interface

BioProf. José del R. Millán holds the Defitech Chair at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) where he explores the use of brain signals for multimodal interaction and, in particular, the development of non-invasive brain- controlled robots and neuroprostheses. In this multidisciplinary research effort, Prof. Millán is bringing together his pioneering work on the two fields of brain-computer interfaces and adaptive intelligent robotics. His research on brain-computer interfaces was nominated finalist of the European Descartes Prize 2001 and he has been named Research Leader 2004 by the journal Scientific American for his work on brain-controlled robots. He is the recipient of the IEEE Nobert Wiener Award 2011 for his seminal and pioneering contributions to non-invasive brain-computer interfaces. The journal Science has reviewed his work as one of the world’s key researchers in the field of brain-computer interfaces. Prof. Millán has been the coordinator of a number of European projects on brain-computer interfaces and also is a frequent keynote speaker at international meetings. His work on brain-computer inter-faces has received wide scientific and media coverage around the world.

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Selected PublicationsBloch J, Chavarriaga R, Sobolewski A, Leeb R, Pralong E and del R Millán J. 2014. Reliable control of a brain-machine interface using epidural electrocorticography. 21st Congress European Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN), Maastricht, NL.

Borton D, Bonizzato M, Beauparlant J, Digiovanna J and Moraud EM et al. 2014. Corticospinal neuropros-theses to restore locomotion after spinal cord injury, Neuroscience Research, 78:21-29.

Chavarriaga R, Sobolewski A and del R Millán J. 2014. Errare machinale est: the use of error-related poten-tials in brain-machine interfaces. Frontiers Neuroscience, 8:208.

Gruebler G, Al-Khodairy A, Leeb R, Pisotta I, Riccio A et al. 2014. Psychosocial and Ethical Aspects in Non-Invasive EEG-Based BCI Research-A Survey Among BCI Users and BCI Professionals. Neuroethics, 7 (1):29-41

Gwak K, Leeb R, del R Millán J and Kim DS. 2014. Quantification and Reduction of Visual Load during BCI Operation. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, San Diego, CA, USA, 2014.

Iturrate I, Chavarriaga R, Montesano L, Minguez J and del R Millán J. 2014. Latency Correction of Error Potentials Between Different Experiments Reduces Calibration Time for Single-Trial Classification. Journal of Neural Engineering, 11:036005.

Leeb R, Gwak K , Kim DS and del R Millán J. 2014. Platform for analyzing multi-tasking capabilities during BCI operation. 6th International Brain-Computer Interface Conference 2014, Graz, Austria, 2014.

Lew EYL, Chavarriaga R, Silvoni S and del R Millán J. 2014. Single trial prediction of self-paced reaching directions from EEG signals. 2014. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 2014, 8, 222.

Perdikis S, Leeb R, Williamson J, Ramsay A, Tavella M, Desideri L, Hoogerwerf EJ, Al-Khodairy A, Mur-ray-Smith R and del R Millán J. 2014. Clinical evaluation of BrainTree, a motor imagery hybrid BCI speller. 2014a. Journal of Neural Engineering, 11:036003.

Perdikis S, Leeb R and del R Millán J. 2014b. Subject-oriented training for motor imagery brain-computer interfaces. 36th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 2014.

Renold H, Chavarriaga R, Gheorghe LA and del R Millán J. 2014. EEG correlates of active visual search during simulated driving: An exploratory study. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cyber-netics, San Diego, USA.

Sagha H, Perdikis S, del R Millán J and Chavarriaga R. 2014. Quantifying electrode reliability during Brain-Computer Interface operation. IEEE Trans Biomedical Engineering.

Saeedi S, Carlson T, Chavarriaga R, Iturrate I and del R Millán J. 2014. Prediction of Command Delivery Time for BCI. IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, San Diego, CA, USA, 2014.

Tzovara A, Chavarriaga R and De Lucia M. 2014. Quantifying the time for accurate EEG decoding of single value-based decisions. Journal of Neuroscience Methods.

Zhang H, Chavarriaga R and del R Millán J. 2014. Towards Implementation of Motor Imagery using Brain Connectivity Features. 6th International Brain-Computer Interface Conference, Graz, Austria.


José del R. Millán

Postdoctoral FellowsMaria Laura BlefariRicardo Chavarriaga

Iñaki IturrateKyuhwa LeeRobert Leeb

Serafeim PerdikisAaron Schurger (with LNCO)

Aleksander Sobolewski

PhD studentsAndrea Biasiucci

Pierluca BorsòLucian Gheorghe

Zahra KhaliliardaliStéphanie MartinSerafeim Perdikis

Michael PereiraLuca Randazzo

Sareh Saeedi Christoph Schneider

Huaijian Zhang

Research EngineersXavier Dubas

Hadrien Renold

Master studentsLaetitia Perroud

Alessandro Sallatielo

Interns studentsOmid Ghasemsani

Dong Liuu Isabel Sibley

Administrative AssistantBeatrix Descloux

Najate Géchoul

Generalization of BMI decoders across different protocols (a) Experimental protocol. (b) EEG error related potentials (ErrP) in each experimental protocol. (c-d) ErrP decoders can generalize across protocols with reduced calibration time without decrease in performance.

CNP 2014 ANNUAL REPORT / PARTNERS AND ACTIVITIES

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The Center for Neuroprosthetics draws upon EPFL’s expertise in biology, neuroscience, brain imaging, and genetics as well as biomedical, electrical, mechanical engineering, micro- and nanotechnology. The Center also draws upon EPFL’s cutting edge research in signal analysis, theoretical and computational neuroscience. CNP faculty pursues ambitious research projects within Europe’s flagship Human Brain Project (www.humanbrainproject.eu) and two Swiss National Centers of Competence in Research, the NCCR in Robotics (www.nccr-robotics.ch) and the NCCR Synapsy in Psychiatric disease (www.nccr-synapsy.ch).

Research partners and activities


Associated laboratories

AMINIAN Kamiar, Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Measurement (EPFL)

BLEULER Hannes, Robotic Systems Laboratory (EPFL)

BLOCH Jocelyne, Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Program, Department of Neurosurgery (CHUV)

BOULIC Ronan, Immersive Interaction Group (EPFL)

DERIAZ Olivier, Rehabilitation & Readaptation Research Institute (Sion)

ADLER Dan, Center for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Department of Pneumology and Neurology (HUG)

Partners and associated medical centersThe Center for Neuroprosthetics is part of the School of Life Sciences and the School of Engineering. In addition, through support from the Bertarelli foundation, a new research collaboration - dedicated to translational neuroscience and neuroengineering has been created between Harvard Medical School, EPFL’s Institutes of Bioengineering and Neuroscience, and the Center for Neuroprosthetics.The Center has strategic partnerships with Geneva University Hospital (Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, HUG), Lausanne University Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, CHUV), and the Swiss Rehabilitation Clinic in Sion (Clinique Romande de Réadaptation, CRR), as well as with the regional biomedical industry.

EPFL

Campus Biotech

MindMaze, G-therapeutics, Intento, Sensars Neuroprosthetics

LEBLEBICI Yusuf, SCHMID Alexandre, Microelectronic Systems Laboratory

MURRAY Micah, IONTA Silvio, Laboratory for Investigative Neurophysiology (CHUV)

PAIK Jamie, Reconfigurable Robotics Laboratory (EPFL)

RAFFOUL Wassim, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (CHUV)

SCHNIDER Armin, GUGGISBERG Adrian, PTAK Radek, Cognitive Neuro-Rehabilitation Laboratory, Neurorehabilitation Clinic (HUG)

SEECK Margitta, EEG and Epilepsy unit, Department of Neurology (HUG)

SCHALLER Karl, MOMJIAN Shahan, Department of Neurosurgery (HUG)

VAN DE VILLE Dimitri, Medical Image Processing Laboratory (EPFL)

VUADENS Philippe, RIVIER Gilles, Clinique romande de réadaptation (CRR SuvaCare)


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Intraneural electrodes for sensorized hand prosthesis

Prof W. Raffoul (Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, CHUV) collaborates with Prof S. Micera to implant intraneural electrodes into the upper limb peripheral nerves to develop a “bionic” hand prosthesis for amputees. The possibility of restoring tactile informa-tion in amputees while using a sensorized hand prosthesis will be investigated in long-term experiments.

Peripheral nerve repair

Prof W. Raffoul (Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, CHUV) and Prof S. P. Lacour work together on improving func-tional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. The project exploits neural engineering tools including cellular therapy and chronic electrodes to test novel nerve conduits for improved peripheral nerve regeneration.

Psychosis in schizophrenia and its relation to sensorimotor processing

Prof P. Conus and Prof. K. Do Cuenod (Department of Psychiatry, CHUV) are conducting research with Prof O. Blanke to study schizophrenia using a robotic platform to study the brain mechanisms of altered sensorimotor processing in psychotic patients suffering from schizophrenia.

ECoG-based control of devices

Dr. J. Bloch (Department of Clinical Neurosciences,CHUV) collaborates with Prof J. del R. Millán on the decoding of different parameters of patient’s motor intent from implanted epidural electrodes.

Robot-assisted gait rehabilitation with electrical spinal cord stimulation

In collaboration with pivotal players in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the CHUV, in particular the functional neurosurgeon Dr J. Bloch, CNP is preparing a clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of robot-assisted rehabilitation enabled by electrical spinal cord stimulation to improve the recovery of locomotion in people with spinal cord injury. This collaboration will foster further interactions with the CHUV and the hospitals in Sion to achieve the translation of EPFL technologies into neuroprosthetic treatments to improve the quality of life of people with neurological disorders.

Functional reorganization of the primary somatosensory cortex after amputation

Dr O. Borens (Service of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, CHUV), Dr F. Luthi and Dr M. Iakova (Department for Musculoskeletal Reha-bilitation, CRR SuvaCare) are working together with Prof O. Blanke on a project exploiting the high spatial resolution provided by ultra-high field fMRI to better characterize the cortical reorganization following the amputation of a limb.

Vestibular neuroprosthetics

Prof J. P. Guyot (Service of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, HUG) collaborates with Prof S. Micera to develop an implantable vestibular neuroprosthesis to replace the missing function in patients with bilateral vestibular Loss.

Personalized robotic neurorehabilitation

Prof A. Schnider and Dr A.G. Guggisberg (Laboratory of Cognitive Neurorehabilitation, UniGE Medical School & Department of Clinical Neurosciences, HUG) started a collaboration with Prof S. Micera on the development of personalized approaches for robot-based neuroreha-biltiation using a novel upper limb exoskeleton.

Virtual and augmented reality in chronic pain

Dr. J-Y Beaulieu (Hand Surgery Department, HUG), Prof A. Schnider and Dr A.G. Guggisberg (Department of Clinical Neurosciences, HUG) together with Dr. François Luthi (Department for Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, CRR SuvaCare) and Prof O. Blanke are leading a project aiming at the development of a wearable noninvasive technology alleviating chronic arm-related pain.

BCI for stroke rehabilitation

Prof A. Schnider and Dr A.G. Guggisberg (Department of Clinical Neurosciences, HUG), Dr P. Vuadens (Department of Neurorehabilitation, CRR SuvaCare) are collaborating with Prof J. del R. Millán to conduct clinical studies on the use of BCI-based approaches to post-stroke motor rehabilitation that decode the patient’s intent to execute a movement of their paretic hand. The clinical trial involves chronic patients. A clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of this BCI-based approach to post-stroke motor rehabilitation with acute patients was launched with Prof. H.-J. Heinze (University of Magdeburg, Germany).

Virtual and augmented reality in patients suffering from spinal cord injury

Reducing pain during illusory own body perception using virtual reality in patients with spinal cord injury - Prof A. Schnider and Dr A. Kassouha (Department of Clinical Neurosciences, HUG), Dr P. Vuadens, (CRR SuvaCare), Dr X. Jordan (Department of Paraplegia, CRR SuvaCare) and Prof O. Blanke are conducting a project investigating whether persistent analgesia and embodiment can be induced in patients with spinal cord injury.

Unilateral spatial neglect and the illusion of ownership of a virtual body

Dr P. Vuadens (Department of Neurorehabilitation, CRR SuvaCare) and Prof J-A. Ghika (Department of Neurology, Valais Hospital) colla borate with Prof O. Blanke on a project investigating how right-brain-damaged patients with and without spatial neglect integrate multisensory interoceptive and exteroceptive information.


February 2014CNP Researchers on Swiss national TV TSR1The medical documentary 36.9° presented the work of Prof. S. P. Lacour on artificial skin (“La main dans tous ses états”) and of Dr. A. Serino on brain damage and its impact on body perception and their neurological impact on the body schema (“Lésions cérébrales : comment récupérer son GPS interne”).

May 2014 Green light for Campus Biotech! The former Merck Serono site, located in the centre of Geneva, Switzerland, has been bought by the Campus Biotech consortium: the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, the University of Geneva, the Wyss Foundation and the Bertarelli Foundation.

G-Therapeutics wins Hello Tomorrow grand prize After being among the 25 semifinalists from over 1200 candidates, G-Therapeutics is the grand prize winner of 100 000 € of the European competition Hello Tomorrow, a non-profit organiza-tion which aims at creating bridges between scientists, investors and entrepreneurs in all major technological fields.

August 2014Workshop on Biomedical microelectronic translational systemsResearch in bio-electronics has recently moved its focus from the pure interface towards full systems, potentially operating in closed-loop with some specific parts of the human nervous system. This workshop gathered experts from the National Chiao Tung and National Cheng Kung Universities, Taiwan, experts from Switzerland and more specifically participants of the nano-tera.ch program and from CNP and EPFL.

September 2014From Rats to Humans: Project NEUWalk Closer to Clinical TrialsA completely paralyzed rat can be made to walk over obstacles and stairs by electrically stimulating the severed part of the spinal cord. The EPFL scientists discovered how to control in real-time how the rat moves forward and how high it lifts its limbs. In collaboration with the CHUV, the SUVA and the Canton of Valais this tech-nology will be extended to human patients using an innovative Gait Platform, bringing the European Project NEUWalk closer to clinical trials.

John P. Donoghue is taking the Lead of the Wyss CenterEPFL and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) are pleased to announce the appointment of John P. Donoghue. The world renown neuroscientist is a pioneer in neuroprosthetics and neuroengi-neering and will head the Wyss Center at Campus Biotech in Geneva.

Stéphanie Lacour selected as Young Scientist by World Economic ForumProf Stéphanie Lacour has been selected as one of the “40 extraordinary scientists under the age of 40” in the 2014 World Economic Forum.

Selected highlights 2014

Prof. Stéphanie Lacour and Dr. Andrea Serino in

the «36.9» medical docu-mentaries (Swiss national TV) .

John P. Donoghue is taking the Lead of the Wyss Center at Campus Biotech.

Prof. Grégoire Courtine’s 2014 year again was full in new accomplishements, G-Therapeutics being the grand prize winner of the European competition Hello Tomor-

row and the project NEUWalk being closer to clinical trials.


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November 2014Defitech foundation supports new EPFL chairThe Defitech Foundation, created in 2001 by Sylviane and Daniel Borel, has made a commit-ment that will enable the creation of a new CNP laboratory. The “Research Chair in Clinical Neuroengineering and Human-Machine Interactions” will be established in Sion, as part of EPFL Valais Wallis, within the auspices of the Clinique Romande de Réadaptation (SuvaCare). This Chair, like the first Defitech Chair established in 2008, will be affiliated with EPFL’s Center for Neuroprosthetics.

Pro Infirmis - Interdisciplinary Conference: From the repaired Human to the enhanced human: what kind of impacts on individual and society ?

Suported by EPFL and CNP, this public conference organized by Pro Infirmis openned the debate between the public, patients and scientists to discuss the acceptance and the future of prosthetic tech-nologies. Prof. G. Courtine presented his work in neuroprosthetics and spinal cord repair in particular.

December 2014Appointment of Diego Ghezzi to direct the EPFL Medtronic Chair in Neuroengineering.

Dr Diego Ghezzi, of the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), is joining the EPFL’s Center for Neuroprosthetics with support from Medtronic, world leader in advanced medical technologies. Ghezzi is a specialist in biocompatible implants and will set up his laboratory at Campus Biotech in Geneva.

Robotic Psychiatry awaken ghosts hidden in our CortexGhosts only exist in our minds. Yet, patients suffering from neurological or psychiatric conditions have often reported a strange “feeling of a presence”. Researchers from the Blanke Lab have now succeeded in recreating this illusion in the laboratory leading the way in robotic understanding of psychosis and its treatment.

The Human-Brain Project moved to Campus BiotechOperational center and research teams of the HBP settled in their new offices. Transformation of buildings for the installation of laboratories hosting the Wyss Center and the Center for Neuroprosthetics is planned to be accomplished for several CNP laboratories in 2015.


Selected seminars in 2014

Neurotechnology: from curing the brain to understanding the mind, January 2014Prof. John Donoghue, Director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University

“Seeing” and reading with the ears, hands and bionic eyes: from basic research to visual rehabilitation, January 2014Prof. Amir Amedi. Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

FES neuroprosthesis for the restoration of grasp function in a monkey model of spinal cord injury, June 2014Dr Christian Ethier, Northwestern University, Chicago USA.

Brain-machine interfaces, microstimulation, and movement primitives, June 2014Dr Simon Overduin, University of California, Berkeley USA

Neuroengineering approaches applied to the investigation of photoreceptor degene-ration and to the restoration of sight, June 2014Dr Diego Ghezzi, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova IT.

High resolution modulation of human brain circuits using transcranial focused ultra-sound, June 2014Dr Wynn Legon, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, VA, USA

Neuromorphic tactile coding to restore fine texture discrimination in upper limb amputees, July 2014Dr. Calogero Oddo, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Pisa, Italy.

Experience-dependent plasticity in amputees, September 2014Dr. Tamar Makin, Dept. of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford University.

Neural Dust and Neural Interfaces, October 2014Prof M. Maharbiz, University of California, Berkeley, USA.

Tracking neural plasticity for brain machine interfaces, October 2014Prof Yiwen Wang, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China


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Teaching

Students enrolled in a master program at EPFL have the possibility to obtain an inter-faculty specialization in neuroprosthetics. This “Mineur” in neuroprosthetics covers the essential courses in neurosciences and neuroengineering in the field of neuropros-thetics, including medical applications. The programme is coordinated by Prof. José del R. Millán (School of Engineering, STI) and Prof Olaf Blanke (School of Life Sciences, SV).

http://cnp.epfl.ch/teaching

Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering The goal of the Bertarelli Program in Translational Neuroscience and Neuroengineering is to facilitate basic discoveries in neuroscience towards translation by creating stronger ties between basic neuro-scientists, engineers and clinicians. The Program bridges two of the world’s great universities, namely Harvard University’s Medical School (HMS), with more than two centuries of leadership in alleviating human suffering caused by disease, and the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), with special strength in engineering and technology. Prof. Blanke is co-Director of the Program on the EPFL side, together with Dean of Engineering Prof. Demetri Psaltis.The Bertarelli Research Grants fund EPFL-HMS collaborative projects over a period of three years. The program additionally funds EPFL Master students to study at HMS and HMS medical students to study at EPFL.

http://ptnn.epfl.ch/

Léonie Asboth and Amélie Guex (at the center of the picture below) have benefitted from this fellowship and are now back at the EPFL as doctoral students in the Lacour and Courtine Labs.


Credits Cover : Electronic dura mater © Ivan Minev // p.2 : © Bruno Herbelin // Projects p.4 : Courtine Lab CHUV © Alain Herzog ; Electronic dura mater (e-dura) © Ivan Minev // p.6 : BCI and rehabilitation © Andrea Biasiucci ; Virtual reality for pain treatment © Irit Hacmun // p.7 : Amputee wearing sensory feedback enabled prosthetic in Rome @ LifeHand 2, Patrizia Tocci ; Electronic artificial skin, or e-skin © Ivan Minev // Laboratories p.17 : Electronic dura mater © Ivan Minev // p. 19 : Prof. Silvestro Micera © Hillary Sanctuary // p. 20 : Restoring natural sensory feedback, illustration © Lifehand 2, a collaboration with Scuola Superiore Sant Anna Pisa, IMTEK Freiburg, Universita Catolica Rome, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona and Universita Campus Biomedico Rome Partners & activities p.22 : @ LifeHand 2 ; p.26 : Prof. Grégoire Courtine © Alain Herzog ; John Donoghue © Véronique Botteron // p.27 : Campus Biotech, Geneva © Steeve Iuncker-Gomez // p.29 : © Alain Herzog // When not mentioned, © copyrights EPFL, 2014 // Design and layout : Myriam Forgeron

Contact EPFL CNP Campus Biotech H4 Chemin des Mines 9 CH-1202 Geneva Switzerland

+41 (0)21 693 18 [email protected]

Director : Prof. Olaf BlankeManager : Bruno Herbelin

grégoire courtine center for neuroprosthetics · the center for neuroprosthetics enthusiastically...

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